Sequoyah And His Talking Leaves

In the early 1800s, white settlers and missionaries were intent on bringing the English language to the illiterate Native Americans. Sequoyah was intrigued by these leaves of paper with strange marks that talked. Doing what no one had ever done before, Sequoyah set about creating a written Cherokee language—helping preserve the tribe's history and culture even today.

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and recipient of the Florida Sunshine Award: In this absorbing chapter book, Ahyoka helps her father, Sequoyah, unlock the mystery of “talking leaves” to create the Cherokee alphabet Ahyoka is the daughter of Sequoyah, a silversmith who has given up most of his trade to focus on his true passion. He longs for the day when the Cherokee people can communicate to one another from afar and document the history of their lives. He wants his people—the Real People—to have a written language like the white men do. When he is ostracized from his community for the “magic” he is creating, he leaves his home to pursue his quest. His young daughter, who shares his dream, joins him on his journey. They work together to create a syllabic alphabet that will tell the story of the Cherokee people.

A work of historical fiction about Sequoyah and the creation of the Cherokee alphabet, from the acclaimed author of Code Talker Thirteen-year-old Uwohali has not seen his father, Sequoyah, for many years. So when Sequoyah returns to the village, Uwohali is eager to reconnect. But Sequoyah’s new obsession with making strange markings causes friends and neighbors in their tribe to wonder whether he is crazy, or worse—practicing witchcraft. What they don’t know, and what Uwohali discovers, is that Sequoyah is a genius and his strange markings are actually an alphabet representing the sounds of the Cherokee language. The story of one of the most important figures in Native American history is brought to life for middle grade readers. This text includes a note about the historical Sequoyah, the Cherokee syllabary, a glossary of Cherokee words, and suggestions for further reading in the back matter. * “Bruchac has crafted a tale of depth and universal humanity in this fictionalized account of Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee syllabary, and his son, Jesse." —School Library Journal, starred review “Although the particulars of the novel occur two hundred years ago, the universality of fitting into a blended family and looking for love and acceptance from a once-absent father feel strikingly contemporary." —Horn Book "A vivid retelling of a pivotal time for the Cherokee nation.” —Kirkus Reviews

A valuable resource for pastors and students, second volume in the HOTE series begins by explaining the nature of Hebrew poetry and the purpose of the Psalms. Old Testament scholar Mark Futato next explores issues related to properly interpreting Israel's songbook, and concludes with a sample of moving from interpretation to proclamation. A glossary is included.

"The story of Sequoyah and the creation of the Cherokee syllabary, as told by his thirteen year old son"--

Thirteen-year-old Uwohali has not seen his father, Sequoyah, for many years. So when Sequoyah returns to the village, Uwohali is eager to reconnect. But Sequoyah's new obsession with making strange markings causes friends and neighbors in their tribe

Through a unique combination of narrative history and primary documents, this book provides an engrossing biography of Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee writing system, and clearly documents the importance of written language in the preservation of culture. Sequoyah's creation of an easy-to-learn syllabary for the Cherokee nation enabled far more than the Cherokee Phoenix, the first newspaper of the Cherokee Nation, and the ability for Native Americans to communicate far more effectively than word of mouth can allow. In many ways, the effects of Sequoyah's syllabary demonstrate the critical role of written language in cultural preservation and persistence. Sequoyah and the Invention of the Cherokee Alphabet is a readable study of Sequoyah's life that also discusses Cherokee culture as well as the historical and current usage and impact of the Cherokee syllabary he created. While the emphasis of the work is on Sequoyah's adult life between 1800 and 1840, enough pre- and post-history information is provided to allow any reader to fully grasp the contextual significance of his accomplishments. The book includes a biography section of key individuals and contains a collection of primary documents that helps illustrate the usage of Sequoyah's syllabary.